Product Description

This 3-4 player expansion marks the great return of the archmage to the origin of the terrible labyrinths of Dungeon Twister. Now instead of just two, there are three or four teams which will be able to hack at, steal from, or escape from their opponents.

Product Reviews

Dungeon Twister is one of my favorite games – a game that I wasn’t
expecting much from when I first heard about it, but a game that has
become one of the most strategic yet variety-filled games that I’ve
ever played. The reason I don’t play it more often is simple – it is
only a two-player game. Enter Dungeon Twister: 3/4 Players Expansion
(Asmodee Editions, 2005 - Christopher Boelinger) – the second
expansion to the game and one that allows (shockingly) three to four
players to enjoy the game. I wasn’t sure if the game would translate
to more than two players, thinking that it might be too chaotic.

Well, it was a bit more chaotic and took a bit longer, yet I was
rather surprised at how well the game flowed with more players. I
found that a four-player game especially was rather exciting, with
much going on, and the game felt like a huge brawl in a maze. While
Dungeon Twister is still best with two players, I would gladly play
this expansion with three or four players. The scenarios in the book
are rather interesting, and even the components themselves are worth
picking it up.

Thoughts on the expansion…

1.) Components: The game comes with almost identical components to
the original game. Instead of orange and blue, the two new colors are
red and green – and really the only thing missing is the rulebook. I
suppose this means that you could simply buy this expansion in the
place of the original game. Really, though, the only reason to do
that is if you like red and green better, because most of the
expansions are going to be in orange and blue (although I heard that
perhaps at least one expansion will be geared to the three/four player
colors). Still, if you wanted to play two simultaneous two-player
games with the set or simply wanted some different layouts of rooms,
this set works for that also. I have managed to fit the base game and
first two expansions in only two of the boxes, but it is a tighter
fit. Everything is still of the highest quality, as were the first
two sets.

2.) Rules: On the back of the rulebook is a nice summary of the
rules, equivalent to that of the first book; but other than that, the
majority of the book simply explains seven scenarios that players can
utilize. There are a few paragraphs that explain the modifications
for a three to four player scenario. The largest change is that
players must score six victory points to win the game, and players can
escape out any of the opponent’s end lines. The three-player map
looks like a “T”, and the four-player map looks like an “X”. Players
of the original game will have no problem diving right in (it takes
about one minute to explain the modifications). At the same time,
I’ve taught and played the game with three new people to the system,
and they understood just as easily.

3.) Scenarios: I haven’t played all of the scenarios; but they all
look fascinating, and I’m highly looking forward to trying all of
them. Scenarios include:

- Crossing: This is basically a scenario using a sixteen square grid
in which players must only exit across from each other. It’s a nice
change up, but I don’t like it as much as the basic three-four player
game.

- Pyramid: The squares are staggered to form a pyramid in which
players must start at the bottom, rushing to the top to escape out. I
actually think this is a cool game, as speed counts and fighting is
not rewarded other than as a delaying action. It’s neat to watch the
scramble towards the top of the pyramid.

- Rush Out!: This scenario is very similar to Pyramid, although with
a different layout. This isn’t a favorite scenario of mine, other
than the fact that it has a time limit.

- And Engineers Invented – Sliding!: This is my favorite scenario in
the book, with two small grids connected by a square that can slide
back and forth like an elevator. The elevator is critical to the
success of the game and makes for a neat chokepoint when playing.

- Where’s the Exit?: When I’m in the mood for a giant game, this is
it; as it uses sixteen squares and has secret exits for players. It
doesn’t seem to have the interaction of the other scenarios.

- Friendly Murder Party: This is a scenario that is custom made for
people who simply want a lot of fighting in the game. Players score
points for killing others and can even join up with players not their
color in group combat. Trolls give victory points when they are
wounded, and the entire thing becomes one big bloody brawl. I like
the fighting in Dungeon Twister, but the game’s essence for me is that
it is a wonderful mix of maneuvering and fighting. Putting the
emphasis on fighting doesn’t seem as interesting, yet at the same time
I realize that bloodthirsty people might enjoy this particular scenario.

- A Surprise Party! This scenario has a diagonal shaped board but is
most notable for the fact that players pair off in teams.

4.) Basic Game and Fun Factor: With four fire wands on the table,
four treasure chests – four of everything! – the game gets rather
interesting. One of the major differences is that a perfect plan you
might have to attack an opponent might be foiled by a completely
different plan by a third party. This might frustrate some people,
but I found it a lot of fun adapting to a bit more chaos in the game.
Several hilarious scenarios can crop up, with groups of trolls going
at it, piles of dead adventurers from combat with a goblin scampering
through them, and other interesting things that could only happen with
four players. This many players also tends to put the “twister” in
Dungeon Twister, as rooms are rotated at a dizzying rate; and players
must keep a careful watch as to what new problems/solutions this may
cause. Fighting is more deadly, as players will most likely get into
more battles yet still have the same amount of cards as the two player
game.

5.) Time: One thing that is critical, however, is the time factor.
I’ve already found that placing a strict two-minute time limit on
turns is a useful idea in the base game, but in a three or four player
game it’s practically essential! Downtime could otherwise be a game
breaker for many players, as the changing board can ruin the plans
that you’ve carefully laid in your thoughts. The time of the game is
increased, also; but I’ve found that a good game can occur in ninety
minutes to two hours (the 60 minute time limit on the box seems
awfully positive).

It’s amazing what changes adding one or two more players can have on
the game. Those who enjoyed Dungeon Twister for its almost pure
strategy may be slightly annoyed at the higher level of chaos due to
multiple players. Others may enjoy it more, since a smarter opponent
can still be foiled by the unexpected play of a third party. While I
still think that the majority of my Dungeon Twister games will be with
two players, I think that this is a very good expansion and will not
hesitate to pull it out when there are three or four willing players.
The scenarios add variety, but the basic game itself is still a
different experience each time and will likely produce many stories of
laughter in the future.

Tom Vasel
“Real men play board games”

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